All I seem to read about first drafts is that they’re always terrible. From quotes to articles to posts, they all say that the first draft is meant to be garbage. Supposedly, it’s where you scribble down thoughts with no regard for form, structure, grammar, and punctuation. Just get down your thoughts and sort it out from there, right?
I’ve seen this quote way too many times. “You can’t edit a blank page, but you can always edit if you write.” While I agree with the part of always being able to edit, does it always have to be that way, editing your ‘garbage’ of a first draft?
I SAY NO!!!!
When I write my books, I write, chapter by chapter, then edit what I have, and it’s never more than twice. The editing I do is on typos, whatever grammar mistakes I’ve made, (by using Grammarly Premium), and fixing minor errors. That’s it!
It is my strong belief that, if you plan your chapters properly, you don’t have to stare down a garbage of a first draft. I like what I write from the beginning, so it only requires minor tweaks after the fact.
How Do I Manage That?
Here is the order in which I plan and write my books:
- Story idea/premise
- A few paragraphs on what happens at the beginning, middle, and end
- Character list
- Use of my mini eBook, How to Create a Protagonist Your Readers Will Never Forget (it’s only .99) to create my characters
- Use of index cards to draft chapter by chapter, using them to write as many ideas as you can for chapters
- Begin writing, following those index cards
What Do You Do With the Index Cards?
- Put each chapter idea from your index cards in the order you want to write them
- break each chapter into four chunks, 500-1000 words or so each, bulleted on index cards
- Make sure each index card contains (something that happens, causing something else to happen and escalate, your character does something about it, a minor conclusion)
- Follow that throughout your story and keep each chapter engaging with a small quest or want, and a small solution or conclusion
- If you follow that plan, you can ensure none of your chapters will be boring
Since I followed this advice from author Bobbi Holmes, it has greatly improved my writing. I no longer have a first draft that is garbage. I hope the above makes sense and that you find it helpful. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always here to help. Happy Writing! Gina
